Cutie From Crown: A Hidden Bloodlines Side Story
by Jchild
Summary: A day at Crown Arcade... Set just before Hidden Bloodlines starts. HIDDEN BLOODLINES SIDE STORY


Heya!,  
  
Shee-chan here. Did you guys know that Hidden Bloodlines has been going for just over a year now?.... o.O.... Oi..... Many, many thanks go out to those who have read this.  
  
Authors: Jchild & Tfoot  
  
Rating: PG?  
  
Warnings: GW/SM X-Over. We're picking on Mamoru a little bit... it's so   
fun!  
  
Pairings: 3x4, 5x2 (very faint in this one), MamoruxRelena   
(mentioned)... Can you spot the other one? *giggle*  
  
Disclaimer: We don't own them.  
  
"Talking."  
  
**Thinking**  
  
^~ Telepathy ~^  
  
// Phone conversations etc. //  
  
CUTIE AT CROWN: A HIDDEN BLOODLINES SIDE STORY  
  
Aino Minako was bored. No, scratch that, she was beyond bored. Her   
guardian was worried, _very_ worried. Being a small white feline, even   
with the crescent moon and ability to speak - and a ruggedly handsome   
look if he did say so himself - put a rather large dint on how much you   
could do in the way of damage control. Eventually it came to the point   
where you just had to join in the fun, *ahem* tag along to make sure   
she didn't cause _too_ much trouble.  
  
"Mina-chan, what's wrong?"  
  
Minako's eyebrows gathered together forming a small frown as she tried   
to find the best way to describe how she was feeling. She gave a deep   
sigh and flopped down onto the bed. "I'm worried about Usagi-chan,   
Artemis. She's just so... I don't know... down about everything. She   
won't even argue with Rei! It's just not right!"  
  
It wasn't fun to watch your only little sister fall apart over a   
bakayarou who had, yet again, broken her heart. She should have been   
out celebrating the end of the war and the victory over Chaos - not   
moping over an idiot who wouldn't know a good thing if it fell out of   
the sky and landed on his head... well... maybe that was a bad analogy.  
  
Usagi was getting better though, at least she was leaving the house   
now. She just wasn't getting better anywhere near fast enough for her   
numerous friends, Senshi and non-Senshi alike. None of them liked   
seeing their best friend/ little sister/ Princess upset over   
_anything_, let alone a cheating, insensitive, self-absorbed,   
egotistical _jerk_ like Chiba Mamoru.  
  
Everyone had tried to cheer her up in their own way. Ami had taken   
Usagi mall-trawling, stopping at all of her favourite haunts, only to   
be disheartened when Usagi was less responsive than a dead fish. Even a   
stop off at Crown, complete with free drinks, food, and games from   
Motoki hadn't worked.  
  
Makoto went through a baking frenzy only to discover that Usagi was   
barely eating. Rei had tried to start an argument but Usagi wasn't   
biting. She'd just sighed and agreed with everything Rei had said - and   
promptly burst into tears when Rei had called her 'Odango Atama'...   
forgetting that, even though it had been she who'd first called her   
princess that [1], it was Mamoru's pet name for her.  
  
The Outer Senshi had kidnapped her for the day only to return with   
murder in their eyes. Last Minako had heard they were trying to track   
down Mamoru, it almost made her feel sorry for him. Almost.  
  
Umino and Naru were frequent visitors to the Tsukino household. Minako   
had heard from Naru that Umino had tried knock-knock jokes _and_ told   
all about the life cycle of the inch worm without Usagi trying to stop   
him.  
  
Even the Starlights had tried to help. A large package had arrived for   
all the girls. Inside had been a multitude of personalized goodies.   
Posters, CD's, photographs, videos - including a personal one for   
Usagi - and an open invitation to visit their home whenever they wished.  
  
Minako had enlisted the help of Haruka to try and get Usagi back to her   
usual hyper self. After her day with the Outers Haruka was more   
concerned with dismembering vital components of a certain tuxedo   
wearing man's anatomy piece by painful piece to be much help.  
  
She'd even called in her last resort after the care packages from their   
26 other siblings hadn't helped - he hadn't answered. She was going to   
have a very serious _talk_ to him about that. Deciding to ignore the   
minor fact that if she and Usagi had left their _exceedingly_   
inconvenient bodyguards where he had put them she _would_ have been   
able to contact him quite easily [2]. Really though that wasn't the   
point; she had needed him and he wasn't there! That just didn't cut it   
in Minako Aphrodite Raberba Winner's eyes.  
  
Minako frowned even harder at the thought of her vexing little brother   
and the bodyguards he had foisted, oh, sorry, _assigned_ for their   
protection. Escaping them was something of an art form.  
  
**I really would've thought he would've sent at _least_ one of them   
back by now. Oh well! What a shame** Mentally she snickered. **If you   
don't miss 'em, join 'em!**  
  
Artemis looked at his frowning charge. She could be a real ditz, and   
was _slightly_ boy crazy - something he was sure she would grow out of   
someday, he hoped... if she turned out like Venus... he didn't want to   
dwell on that - but few people had a heart as large as Aino Minako.   
Seeing her friend in pain hurt her badly and he knew she would go to   
extreme lengths to fix it. "She'll be fine, Mina-chan, just give her   
some time."  
  
An irritated sigh puffed out of the girl sprawled on the bed. It was   
the same platitude he'd been spouting for just over two weeks now and   
she was well and truly _sick_ of it. she reached over the cat to her   
bedside table for the phone. **Gah! I give up. I'll call someone else.**  
  
She quickly dialed a familiar sequence of numbers, drumming her fingers   
on the desk as she waited impatiently for the person on the other end   
to pick up.  
  
//Moshi-moshi....// A male voice echoed down the line.  
  
"Moshi-moshi, Motoki-chan!" Minako grinned as she answered him.  
  
//Mina-chan! To what do I owe the pleasure?//  
  
The grin melted into a small sappy smile and she began to twirled the   
cord around her fingers. "I need a reason to call the cutest guy in   
existence?" She teased.  
  
Rolling his eyes in disgust, Artemis left the room in a hurry. He had a   
feeling he'd get cavities if he stayed much longer.  
  
Faint laughter drifted down the line to the blonde girl. //Mmmmm...   
other than the fact that my best friend was just in here sporting not   
one, but _two_ black eyes? And he was....//  
  
Minako's eyebrows finally finished their migration to join forces low   
above the bridge of her nose. "_Two_ black eyes? But Usa said she only   
gave him one..."  
  
**She pulled that one too. Silly. It will only last for a week or so,   
it _should_ have been a permanent fixture.**  
  
Motoki laughed, causing Minako to smile again - even wider this time,   
he had the _cutest_ laugh. //Yeah. There's a funny story to the second   
one. Apparently your li'l sis' had a talk to his new girlfriend and   
wised her up the fact that he had been two-timing them. Apparently she   
wasn't real impressed. He's got a week to come up with a suitable   
apology.//  
  
Minako snickered at the mental image that conjured up - Mamoru on his   
knees in a 'Crouching Tiger' stance in front of a group of unforgiving   
looking females [3]. "Well, it's not like he didn't deserve it! Why'd   
he visit? He need an idea on what would be a suitable, and totally   
expensive 'forgive me' gift?"  
  
Motoki snorted. // How'd you guess? I do feel a _bit_ sorry for the guy   
though. He sounded really cut that Relena got so mad at him.// He   
sounded confused. Even when Usagi and Mamoru had had it the worst for   
each other the male hadn't been stressed.  
  
Minako's brain finally gave her a kick up the side of the head, jump-  
starting some of its' disused circuits again. "Wait a second. Did you   
say _Usa_ was talking to Mamo-baka's new girl? What?! _When_?!"  
  
You could almost _feel_ the puzzled frown that was almost assuredly   
creasing Motoki's forehead. //Yeah... that's what he said. He'd just   
flown in from Sanq today...//  
  
Minako finished off his sentence, now frowning herself. "...And as far   
as _I_ know Usagi's been in Tokyo all week." She groaned. "I'm going to   
have a _chat_ to her about that. She didn't even take anyone for backup   
or I'd have known already!" As quickly as it had disappeared her grin   
was back and she changed the topic. "But that's not entirely why I   
called. What do you think is the fastest way to cheer Usa up? Besides   
Naru and Umino you and Unazuki know her best and those two failed   
miserably."  
  
//Well...// There was a definite smile in his voice. // She usually   
eats enough ice-cream to make six people sick, then plays video games   
until she's spent all the money she can find, beg, borrow, or steal.   
Hmmm.... I'm installing a new game this afternoon.// Irony practically   
dripped off his words. //Interested?//  
  
Minako giggled a little. "You have to ask? What type of game is it?"  
  
He hesitated slightly before answering. //Actually... there was a bit   
of controversy about this one. It's based on the War.//  
  
**My family and the War...** Minako shook her head slightly. "Don't   
worry about it. What type of game is it?"  
  
//A piloting game. You can either pilot Gundams or a choice of Mobile   
Suits.//  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Usagi let out a loud, exasperated sigh and gave another tug on the arm   
her sister had a tight hold on. Aiming an annoyed glare at the   
oblivious girl dragging her along she gave another tug. "_Honestly_ Mi,   
I would have met you there! You didn't have to come out of your way to   
pick me up! Anyway, aren't I going with you tomorrow?"  
  
Stony eyes, out of place on the normally cheerful sister, raked over   
the baby girl of the Winner family. "Knowing _you_, Usa, you would have   
piked at the last minute. No way! Not this time." A mildly disturbing   
smirk made its way onto her face. "You and I are going to have an iced   
chocolate or three and you are going to tell me _all_ about _why_ Mamo-  
baka has _two_ black eyes. Because a little froggy told me a rather   
interesting story about the second one. It involves his new girl and an   
_unaccompanied_ trip to Sanq. Now you wouldn't happen to know anything   
about that would you? Hmmm?"  
  
Usagi's eyes glimmered with mirth as she was forcefully propelled   
inside the Crown Arcade and into a booth. "Heh. So the little pacifist   
princess _did_ sock him one! She threatened to but I didn't think she   
would actually do it..." She seemed to ponder something for a second. "   
Maybe that hunky big brother of hers whacked him for her? Nah, Mamo-  
baka'd be in intensive care or worse, not moping about Juuban."  
  
Minako blinked for a moment and began waving her hand frantically in   
front of Usagi's face. "Helloooooo! L4 to Usagi Winner! You haven't   
told me how you met little miss princess yet! Not to mention how you   
convinced her to give Mamo-baka a matching shiner... and did somebody   
take a picture for prosperity?"  
  
Usagi launched herself into a detailed account of her trip to Sanq,   
including hand gestures. Inside Minako was beaming, her little sister   
was back to normal! She could talk about her ex and not become a   
blubbering mess - even more strange was that she seemed to have become   
quite good friends with his new girlfriend. It was great!  
  
Minako's thoughts came to a screeching halt. She hadn't just heard what   
she thought she just heard... had she?? She replayed the last part of   
Usagi's narration back to herself...  
  
"She's _WHAT_?!!"  
  
Usagi nodded sharply, she'd barely noticed her sister zoning out during   
her monologue. "I know! The Earth accepted her as liege and that's all   
there is to it. Hell, that's how _our_ ancestors became representatives   
you know. She'll do a far better job of it than Mamo-baka would   
anyway." She giggled and grinned wickedly. "She's even got the Golden   
Crystal, Mamo-baka is _just_ a Senshi and _her_ protector! I wish I   
could see his face when he finally works that one out."  
  
Minako gaped, her thoughts running in circles. **That's just...   
disturbing. I wonder if OZ realized when they were crowning her 'Queen   
of the World' that it wasn't just in name?** She took a _long_ drink of   
iced-chocolate, wishing it had something a little more fortifying in   
it - like coffee - as she tried to regain her composure.  
  
She settled for just shaking her head once more in disbelief as she   
finished off the tall glass. "Okay. Now, how about we go and break all   
the high scores on that thing?" She asked pointing to the new game in   
the corner of the arcade.  
  
Usagi looked at the booths and grinned. "You're on. Let's show them   
what the Winners can do!"  
  
Usagi lent on the counter while Minako and Motoki flirted. She really   
couldn't complain - they got twice the amount of tokens they usually   
would have got. It wasn't _that_ much of a hardship but she wanted to   
play that game some time today.  
  
She snorted quietly to herself. **It's _amazing_ this pair haven't been   
busted by anyone other than Unazuki and I the way they carry on.**  
  
While she was waiting, with a dwindling amount of patience, she gazed   
around the cafe section of the arcade. It was a habit she'd picked up   
during her time spent training with H, as brief as it was, and she'd   
never been able to break it - although it had saved her life from a   
couple of well disguised Youma. Her eyes caught on a tall boy with   
auburn hair, and the _weirdest_ hairstyle - next to her and Rashid's   
**Heh** - as he stood and made his way to the same Mobile Suit game   
that was their destination.  
  
Her brow creased in a minute frown as she covertly watched him. She   
felt that she should recognise him for some reason. He felt... familiar   
somehow. She gave Minako a mental nudge. ^~ I know you're not   
available, but the cutie over there - tall, green eyes - do we know   
him? ~^  
  
Minako took a quick glance without breaking her conversation. ^~ Nuh-  
uh, but he feels kinda familiar for some reason. Maybe we saved him   
from a Youma or something?~^  
  
^~ Yeah, great Mi. Like that doesn't encompass most of the population   
of Juuban three times over! ~^  
  
Motoki finally handed over the last of their tokens and Usagi gave a   
grateful sigh however Minako just grinned. "Arigato, Motoki! Now, watch   
us bust all the high scores on that thing!"  
  
The pair joined the crowd watching the game - it seemed like more   
people were watching than playing. That was likely to change in the   
next few days as people became more accustomed to how the game was   
played and which suits to choose.  
  
The three interconnected booths became free after the screen overhead   
displayed three Wing Gundam Zero's exploding in spectacular fireballs   
and Usagi, Minako and 'Cutie' slipped into the now vacant seats.  
  
The three players looked over the controls in front of them with an air   
of confidence. All three noted the lever marked 'Reality' - which could   
be translated as 'Easy' - and snorted, shifting the lever to the   
highest level. As the girls adjusted their seats and fastened their   
harnesses they noted the current high scores.  
  
^~ HUH?! How _rude_! I'm going to have words with those girls, they   
didn't even invite us! ~^  
  
Minako was glaring at the screen. ^~ Ami and Makoto have a _lot_ of   
those high scores ~^  
  
Usagi smirked. ^~ Yeah, but Pyro only made the top 20... and Naru is in   
the top 15... who woulda thought. ~^  
  
Minako giggled at the gleeful look on her sister's face, there was   
something to tease the fiery Miko about for sure. The screen began to   
flash 'Loading...' ^~ Let's bump them all down a notch or two, ne? ~^  
  
Usagi grinned across at her and a flash of good natured sibling rivalry   
sparked between them. ^~ You're on. Prepare to die! ~^  
  
The game commenced and the crowd quickly grew, everyone jostling to   
watch the display over the top of their heads.  
  
There were two Gundam Sandrocks and one Gundam Heavyarms battling both   
each other and computer controlled suits and Gundams. The crowd oohed   
and aahed as the three players fought using manoeuvres that nobody   
thought possible.  
  
The game came to an abrupt halt, much to the disappointment of the   
crowd, when Heavyarms ran out of its' bullet quota and was shish-  
kabobbed while trying to surrender - though its player was smirking in   
what could only be called a bemused way. It was, however followed by   
both Sandrocks as they were caught in the crossfire of a flame thrower   
and a buster rifle.  
  
As the crowd began to dissipate slightly, talking about various moves   
made in the three-quater of an hour long game, the newest set of high   
scores flashed up on the screen showing the names:  
  
03  
  
29  
  
28  
  
as the new top three.  
  
The Winner girls bustled noisily out of their booths, amid much   
backslapping and compliments from spectators, trading... comments on   
each others piloting ability - or perhaps a viewed lack of. Minako spun   
to face her sister, friend, and princess, hair sailing behind her. "You   
only beat me 'cause of that last sneaky attack!"  
  
Looking down her nose disdainfully, Usagi sniffed. "You _wish_, Minako!   
You could _never_ concede that I had superior piloting abilities. You   
killed _way_ too many civilians. Just because they're wearing red it   
doesn't mean that they're a target you know!"  
  
Minako blew her sister a raspberry in response. "Ha! You didn't do that   
much better you know! _I_ didn't blow up three-quaters of the Sanq   
kingdom by accident now, did I?"  
  
Usagi grinned evilly at her sister. "Who said it was an accident? I had   
to give Relena-hime _something_ to do other than chase people in her   
pretty pink car! Besides, it's a game where you have to blow stuff up,"   
her face turned innocent, "I'm just following orders... blow stuff up!"  
  
Minako snorted in disbelief. "I highly doubt the orders would've   
included blowing up the city."  
  
Behind the two bickering girls the occupant of the third booth slipped   
gracefully our of his harness, giving his bickering opponents a quick   
glance before heading for the door to the arcade. Both of the girls   
were extraordinary pilots, for civilians. Their style of fighting, both   
behind and away from the controls of the game, reminded him strongly of   
his loves. He smirked to himself, there was a strong family resemblance   
but he didn't think he needed to mention it. Quatre had already said   
something about avoiding his family for as long as possible, he'd   
muttered something about 'psychotic sisters with temper problems' under   
his breath.  
  
Usagi and Minako finished their 'discussion' on piloting skills,   
shortly before it reached the hair-pulling stage, and looked around for   
their fellow pilot expectantly.  
  
"Heeeeeey!!" A disappointed whine came from Usagi's mouth. "The Cutie's   
gone! I wanted to ask him where he learnt some of those moves - those   
somersaults were _cool_!"  
  
Minako tilted her younger sisters' head up to look at the score board   
where the name '03' flashed in the top spot.  
  
A look of dawning appeared on Usagi's face. "Then again, he mightn't   
have told us."  
  
The pair shrugged in unison, did an about face, and walked back up the   
stairs to the cafe to have one last cold drink before they braved the   
heat outside. both girls were _very_ happy to be going to the estate   
the next day. Air-con. Pool. BLISS.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Trowa quietly padded into the lounge. His fellow pilots were in there   
watching television - or at least Duo was, even then he was channel   
surfing. Quatre was looking at the screen but whether he was taking   
anything in was another matter, his eyes had that look about them which   
usually meant that his mind was somewhere else entirely. Heero was over   
in the corner, doing what Trowa wasn't sure as his back was to him.   
Wufei appeared to be asleep, a book held loosely in one hand.  
  
He moved over to the couch where Quatre was seated and folded himself   
down into it. Once he was comfortable he reached out and pulled Quatre   
closer.  
  
Quatre looked up at him and smiled sweetly through pale golden   
bangs. "Hey! How did you put in your afternoon?"  
  
Quatre understood that Trowa needed to go out and assess the   
surrounding territory and, as he already knew the area, he was allowing   
his love some time to himself as well. He needed some time to himself   
occasionally, just as Quatre needed to surround himself with family of   
the non-extended kind or business problems. They all had their various   
means of escape, the most obvious of which was a certain laptop - which   
seemed to be missing at the moment...  
  
Quatre blinked and went cross-eyed as Trowa smiled down at him,   
dropping a kiss on his forehead.  
  
"Walked. I found a nice cafe with a video arcade attached."  
  
Duo stopped pressing random buttons on the remote - it was actually   
kinda fun, especially when you drew up the VCR menu and played with the   
contrast options... action movies looked soooo funny when you put it   
on 'soft' - and spun around, sending his braid flying - almost hitting   
Wufei in the face with it. "Any good games?" His eyes were glowing with   
excitement. He hadn't had much of a chance to play video games - other   
than flight simulators and he wasn't sure if those counted or not - but   
those he had played he'd _really_ liked, and air hockey, that was fun   
too.  
  
Trowa nodded, smiling softly in memory of the last time Duo had dragged   
him to an arcade with some classmates at one of the schools they'd been   
staying at for cover. It was one of the first times he'd ever seen Duo   
truly smile.  
  
"A MS game. New. Inaccurate though. Wing was too powerful,   
Deathscythe's cloaking isn't _that_ good, and Heavyarms had far too   
many bullets."  
  
Heero looked up from his game of solitaire, using a real set of cards   
instead of his laptop for a change, and snorted lightly. "Hn. You used   
up the quota anyway, ne?"  
  
Trowa smirked but chose not to confirm or deny that comment. "And don't   
surrender to Sandrock. It'll cut you in half." Quatre blinked and then   
snickered. "They had good coffee too."  
  
No discussion was really needed, for all the awake pilots anyway - to   
decide to visit this place. If it had Trowa's seal of approval it met   
_very_ high standards meaning that it was well worth a visit. Maybe   
next week, the next few days were going to be spent completely on rest   
and relaxation - though it appeared Wufei had the jump on them in the   
rest department.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
[1]S: It was! One of the first episodes with Rei in it she calls Usagi   
a 'Meatball-head' (In the dub anyway, I can only assume it was the same   
in the sub). Mamoru/Darien picks up on it and decides that it was an   
apt name for her and that's what he kept calling her from then on.  
  
[2]S: See 'My Brothers Keepers: A Hidden Bloodlines Side Story'. It's   
another of our side stories dealing with some time off that Quatre   
spent in Juuban *snicker*.  
  
[3]S: Ranma reference. I'll let M-chan explain it better since I've   
only seen about 4 episodes.  
M: *blinks* me? oh ok! It's the bowing thingy that Soun and Gemna do to   
Happi-chan to stop him from beating the crap out of them, a type of   
forgive me thing. it looks very funny and rather stupid... suits mamo-  
baka ne? ^_~ 


End file.
